Hunter Biden reportedly received a 2.8 carat diamond from a Chinese energy tycoon


Former Vice President Joe Biden's son, Hunter, might be cause for concern for his father's presidential campaign, The New Yorker reports.
Hunter Biden has recently fallen under the microscope as details about his business dealings and personal life have come to light. The younger Biden's struggles with drugs and alcohol, divorce and subsequent relationship with his late brother Beau's widow, and questionable business practices in China and Ukraine are chief among the reasons why he could wind up being a thorn in the side of the Biden campaign.
In a sprawling piece, The New Yorker details how Hunter Biden, while on the board of the World Food Program USA, said he was gifted a 2.8 carat diamond by Chinese energy tycoon Ye Jianming, the head of CEFC China energy. Biden said he was trying to secure a large donation from Ye at the time. While he doesn't think the diamond was intended as a bribe as his father was no longer in office, Biden said he still washed his hands of the diamond by giving it to his associates. He said he does not know what they did with it.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
But during divorce proceedings, Biden's ex-wife, Kathleen, referenced the diamond, implying it was one of Biden's "personal indulgences."
Diamond aside, though, Biden continued working with Ye, negotiating a deal for CEFC to invest $40 million in a liquefied natural gas project in Louisiana. The deal eventually fell through when Ye was detained by Chinese authorities in 2018 in what was reportedly an anti-corruption charge. Biden maintains that Ye was not a "shady character" and chalked up the situation to "bad luck." Read more at The New Yorker.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.
-
5 side hustle ideas to supplement your budget
the explainer Almost two-thirds of Americans are looking to get a second job in the next year
-
DOJ indicts John Bolton over classified files
Speed Read Continuing the trend of going after his political enemies, Trump prosecutes his former national security adviser
-
Trump, Putin set summit as Zelenskyy lands in DC
Speed Read Trump and Putin have agreed to meet in Budapest soon to discuss ending the war in Ukraine
-
DOJ indicts John Bolton over classified files
Speed Read Continuing the trend of going after his political enemies, Trump prosecutes his former national security adviser
-
Trump, Putin set summit as Zelenskyy lands in DC
Speed Read Trump and Putin have agreed to meet in Budapest soon to discuss ending the war in Ukraine
-
Courts deal setbacks to Trump’s Chicago operations
Speed Read President Donald Trump cannot deploy the National Guard in Illinois
-
Pentagon reporters turn in badges after refusing rules
Speed Read They refused to sign a restrictive new press policy imposed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth
-
Supreme Court points to gutting Voting Rights Act
speed read States would no longer be required to consider race when drawing congressional maps
-
Trump says he authorized covert CIA ops in Venezuela
Speed Read He is also considering military strikes inside the country
-
The Chinese threat: No. 10’s evidence leads to more questions
Talking Point Keir Starmer is under pressure after collapsed spying trial
-
‘Vile, racist’ leaked chats roil Young Republicans
Speed Read Leaders of Young Republican groups made racist, antisemitic and violent comments in private chats